London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

The trial of former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks over allegations of phone hacking at the News of the World has been delayed for legal reasons.

The trial of Brooks and seven other defendants, including Prime Minister David Cameron's former spin doctor Andy Coulson, was due to start at the Old Bailey on September 9 but is now expected to begin on October 28.

Brooks, 45, denies a total of five charges, including conspiracy to hack phones, conspiracy to pay public officials and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice by allegedly trying to hide evidence.

Former Sun and News of the World editor Brooks, former managing editor Stuart Kuttner, 73, and former news editor Ian Edmondson, 44, also deny conspiracy to intercept mobile phone voicemails between October 3 2000 and August 9 2006.

Coulson, 45, who previously edited the now-defunct News of the World, denies the same charge.

He and News of the World former royal editor Clive Goodman, 55, are also accused of two charges of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office, between August 31 2002 and January 31 2003, and between January 31 2005 and June 3 2005.

Brooks denies two counts of conspiracy to commit misconduct in public office, one between January 2004 and January 2012, and a second between February 2006, and October 2008.

In the same trial, she and former personal assistant Cheryl Carter, 49, are charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice by allegedly trying to hide material from the News International archive between July 6 and 9 2011.

Brooks' racehorse trainer husband, Charlie Brooks, 50, and News International head of security Mark Hanna, 50, will also appear in the same trial over a charge of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, by allegedly hiding documents and computer equipment from police between July 15 and 19 2011, a charge also faced by Brooks.